About

Melbourne Spoken Word is a website and arts organisation with the goal of supporting spoken word and poetic performers and events around Melbourne, Australia, especially the live spoken word and poetry scene. Melbourne has a vibrant culture of poetic performances, open mic nights and poetry slams, most of which is not widely known about in mainstream media. Our goal is make spoken and poetry visible in this city.

Melbourne Spoken Word was founded on the 22nd of February 2012, by Annie B Solah, as a website aiming to promote and discuss the Melbourne spoken word and poetry ‘scene’ or community, and become a central online space to list and advertise all of the spoken word gigs, open mics, slams, workshops and goings on around Melbourne.

Our focus is two-fold. We are a city-focussed organisation, focussing on what is happening in this city, and on the outskirts of Melbourne and we unashamedly focus on the spoken word, the readings, the performative. We list every gig in Melbourne that’s primary focus is spoken word or poetry.

We also publish discussion, news, reviews, interviews, history, video, opinion and debate, as well as produce a quarterly audio-journal Audacious, an album of spoken word. Melbourne Spoken Word is now more than just a website. We also endeavour to get out to gigs, help with cross-promotion and get out to festivals and markets to promote spoken word.

Annie B Solah – Director

Annie Solah is the founder and Director of Melbourne Spoken Word. She manages the ‘Upcoming Events’ page and sends out the Weekly Bulletin. She is also very busy and full of ideas but is slowly expanding the team to have more people help out, especially with skills she doesn’t have.

The MSW Committee:
Amanda Anastasi
Brendan Bonsack
Rowan White
Philip Kent-Hughes
Poet Pre

Past Members:
Brendan Reed Dennis
Lana Woolf
Krish Prasad
Sam Ferrante
Mandy Petit
Arielle Cottingham
Ela Fornalska
Anthony O’Sullivan
Kendra Keller
Es Foong
Trixi Rosa
Fiorella Matos